May 05, 2011 -
The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee today announced his support for a new approach to funding weapons systems that calls upon industry partners to share the fiscal burden of developing new technology. In a speech before the Heritage Foundation, U.S. Rep. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon (R-Calif.) praised the decision by General Electric (GE) and Rolls-Royce to full fund their variant of the Joint Strike Fighter engine in Fiscal Year 2012 without any financial burden to the American taxpayer.
"GE and Rolls-Royce are aware of the current stresses on the defense budget and the taxpayer. I'm pleased to announce that instead of being part of the problem, they have decided to be part of the solution," said McKeon in the speech.
He continued by praising the decision, "Instead of lobbying for the final twenty percent needed to finish the engine, the GE team has committed to funding the engine for Fiscal Year 2012 on their own dime. I will accept and support their approach. They believe in their engine and they believe in competition."
"Thanks to their willingness to compromise, we’ll break up a monopoly; potentially harvest billions in savings, while fielding a more capable, more robust fighter jet—all at zero cost to the American taxpayer," continued McKeon.
He concluded, "That sort of acquisition reform from the defense industry should be rewarded and applauded at every opportunity, and I thank GE and Rolls Royce for coming to us with a smart, viable solution to a tough problem."
Following the speech, McKeon called on the Department of Defense and Congressional opponents of the F136 engine to fully support this approach to provide taxpayer-free competition.
“Ironically, opposition to the competitive F136 engine has potentially changed the way certain major weapons systems are developed and funded by the Department of Defense,” said McKeon.
"Without the efforts of those opposed to the F136 engine, GE and Rolls-Royce would not have stepped up to fund it on their own dime. This way, the American taxpayers made a down payment on early technology development to enable industry to deliver results. The taxpayer gets the benefit of competition without having to pay for the entire program. It’s a win for competition, a win for the Armed Services Committee, and most importantly, a win for our nation’s taxpayers. I hope and would encourage the Secretary of Defense, Members of Congress and our industry partners to support this innovative approach to providing our troops with the resources they need to succeed.”
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